Forbidden Fruit
by MrMeatbag
Summary: "I'm just a stray dog who forgot his place - the kennel." Snow White's scent has always captivated Bigby Wolf, though now it seems more a cruel joke than anything. He's now determined more than ever to rid himself of this burden at any cost to himself. Though perhaps Snow has something to say about that... (Cover image by lorna-ka)
1. Chapter 1

**I just want to point out that this story is influenced by the 'Storybook Love' arc of 'Fables' by Bill Willingham, and as such I have 'reused' certain bits of dialogue, only since its very strong writing that I feel I simply can't replace or rephrase any better in this kind of story. I'm not making any money out of this (duh), so I hope you all can overlook this small bit of plagiarism (cheeky, I know). **

**Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy!**

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><p>The pungent stench of cigarette smoke could at times be considered synonymous with the Sheriff's office, no doubt a result of said sheriff smoking more than – as he himself put it so eloquently – <em>'a Bristol chimney.' <em>The small fan on a side desk alongside one of the walls did little to alleviate this, or the heat for that matter, as it blew air around the cramped confines of the room. The crackling, dull, wallpaper on the walls, which in the light of the desk lamp appeared a sickly yellow, didn't do well to help this predicament either, making the small office appear even more repulsive.

At times, one would ask themselves if this small room could even be considered an office. Of course the piles of papers scattered on the large splintering wooden desk, the multiple photographs hung in frames – all unevenly hung – across the walls and the numerous notes pinned to the board on the back wall were a clear indication of this.

For a certain Sheriff however this didn't deter him at all. Growing up in the woods didn't tend to leave one with a great appreciation or want for luxury it seemed, or perhaps that was just wolves. Regardless, the office suited Sheriff Bigby Wolf just fine. He was more at home here than any, his rugged appearance making him blend in with his small den just fine. Long dark brown hair combed to the back of his head, a severe case of stubble across the lower half of his face putting any man's five 'o' clock shadow to shame, hazel eyes that at times appeared a fearsome amber, a plain white shirt with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up past his elbows revealing muscular hairy arms and a black tie not round up all the way around his neck, as well as dark grey trousers gave the sheriff a distinct _'Don't fuck with me vibe'. _In his line of work they were all very useful features at least when it came to apprehending crooks and other fiendish Fables – and beating sense into them. Dealing with other law abiding citizens however was another story, though when it came to Fables, his appearance was the least of his concern.

'_The Big Bad Wolf'_

That's what they used to call him. Still do in fact, behind his back usually when they think he can't hear them, and many times when they knew he could. The name suited him well, however inelegant it was, though that name, like many things about him, were now just a part of his past. Or at least were supposed to be. No longer the great beast of legend, he was a new wolf now, a new _man_. The latter thanks to a certain lycanthropy infected knife. He was now the protector of Fabletown, entrusted with safeguarding its citizens. A strange joke some would say, and he wouldn't blame them. The one who once terrorized them now guarded them. The monster whose name was whispered to frighten misbehaving children now represented the law. The wolf who once tore them apart now did everything he could to keep them from tearing each other apart. He once believed that the only way to do so was _'by being big, and being bad._' But now, he wasn't so sure anymore, especially given the last few days.

The deaths of three Fables, the women Faith, Lily and Vivian shook him to his very centre making him realise how much he genuinely cared for these people, how guilty he felt that he had failed to protect them, failed to prevent their deaths. Once upon a time, no one would think that the wolf _could_ care, but now…

He had gotten them justice at least, those responsible brought down, the Tweedles, Jersey, that psychotic maniac Bloody Mary, Georgie and the Crooked Man, who now had a permanent residence at the bottom of the Witching Well. He did everything he could to do so the right way. He wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't a monster. So when he investigated leads, when he questioned Fables, he kept his cool for the most part. He was lenient; he didn't lose his temper, however tempting it was to do so. He didn't spill blood when he could avoid it. He didn't bash Beast's face in, or tear Grendel's arm off or burn Aunty Greenleaf's tree. And when he was finally sent to apprehend him, Bigby kept his promise to Snow White and brought the Crooked Man back alive for a fair trial. For the first time ever, Fabletown saw a new side of Bigby Wolf, someone that cared. A side that Snow White believed to be there all along.

Oh Snow.

Since the day he met her she had always captivated him. She was the one person he couldn't ignore. Despite him smoking severely to deaden his heightened senses to cope with city life, he could never forget her scent, her beautiful scent… He always knew where she was, what she was feeling, when she was happy, which was rare, when she was sad and when she felt so desperately lonely, which was most of the time. Her beauty, her intelligence, her compassion, her strong sense of independence, her determination, her strength, and oh her wonderful smell. He wanted her. More than he ever wanted anything. He wanted to be with her, wanted to see her laugh, wanted to _make _her laugh, wanted to make her happy. He wanted to taste her, like he did so many years ago…

He shook such thoughts from his head. He was deluding himself. He knew that whatever support she had shown over the years was for the betterment of the whole community and while she may have become friendlier with him over the past few days, she had since reverted back to her 'Ice Queen' no nonsense demeanour ever since adopting the office of deputy mayor. She rarely smiled at him or spoke to him for that matter, and never about anything other than business. Besides, how could she ever want him?

"_I'm not yours to lose!"_

Those words reminded him of his place. He was a wolf, little more than a wild animal no matter how well tamed he was. He had nothing to offer her, he was no Prince Charming. All he knew were woods, wilderness and loathing.

His thoughts shifted to Crane. Were they more alike than he realised? Crane believed he loved Snow yet Snow wasn't convinced. Neither was Bigby considering the weird shit Crane was up to with Lily and the glamours…

'_I know what this is and this is not love.'_

Maybe he was just another perverted fucker as well. Though he'd never take it that far, maybe he was just filled with wild delusions. Snow deserved better than him that was certain.

He took a long drag from the cigarette in his hand. No, that didn't help. Not that he thought it would. He was still thinking about her like some forbidden fruit.

'_Ha'_, he thought to himself.

Fruit? Apple? Oh forget it.

He knew that she would never feel the way about him that he did about her.

'_She doesn't really need me.'_

Oh but her scent was still so intoxicating…

That was it. It was driving him crazy, every day as the years roll by she was the apple of his eye – damn he really needed to stop the apple jokes – and he was still merely a colleague to her. He thought he could deal with it, but the thought that someone you cared about dearly never reciprocating your feelings was just damn torture.

He needed to forget her scent. He needed to move on.

But he couldn't.

'_I'd stop it off if I could.'_

…

Maybe he could…

He didn't want to, not deep down but if he could live with himself, with this pain…

If it meant Snow would be safe from him…

Maybe he should pay the witches on the 13th floor a visit.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking down the hallway outside of his office, Bigby ran the implications of what he meant to do through his mind. Could it be possible? Could one of the witches upstairs whip something up to block Snow's scent? Did he really want this? He came to a stop in front of the elevator letting loose an exasperated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit. Perhaps he should just abandon this chain of thought. Sure it could be exasperating at times having Snow continually in the back of his mind – and the tip of his nose, but he'd been dealing with this for centuries. What changed things now?

_Faith changed things. Lily. Vivian. _

_The Crooked Man. _

_Crane._

Even thinking about that vile old pervert's name caused his blood to boil. He should've ripped that fucker's head off while he had the chance, but now he was gone, somewhere in Paris safe from his grasp. For now at least. He could never forgive him for the crimes he committed, the money he stole, the people he neglected, that he hurt. But what enraged Bigby the most was what Crane did to Snow. He may not have laid a finger on her, but in Bigby's mind what he did was far worse. To have had those – _fantasies. _To have had _played them out_ on Lily, or whatever poor girl he got his hands on…

And when Snow found out, when he had to be the one to tell her…

He'll never forget the look of horror on her face.

The _mortification_.

Snow never told him about her history with her stepmother or the dwarves. Hell she didn't tell anyone, but he had some idea. The few closest to Snow knew that her story was nothing like the Mundies think it to be. She had suffered betrayal by her step mother, her sack of shit cheating husband and her sister. She suffered – _indignities_ – from those dwarves. Then centuries later just when she thinks it's over, Crane pulls this stupid shit.

And now he wondered if he himself was doing the same thing.

Sure fantasising about a woman was hardly a crime, hell just about every man did it at some point or another and he'd never even dream of taking it to the extent Crane had, _hell no_. But still, Snow had gone through a lot and if she found out that the Big Bad Wolf was pining after her, some misguided stray dog, a wild animal – it's be just as devastating, just as _degrading._ He had to do this.

With a newfound determination he called the elevator, only for it to open with a ding revealing a sole occupant.

"Aunty Greenleaf?"

The old witch in front of him looked up at him, brown eyes meeting hazel.

"Can I help you Sheriff?" She responded not unkindly. It seemed that giving her a job at the woodlands softened her up a bit to the wolf, though she would always retain some of her icy disposition.

"Uh, yeah actually." His gruff voice contrasted her rasping own.

He entered the elevator before the doors closed, joining the yellow dressed, silver haired, wrinkled woman.

"Oh?"

"Is it possible to make a spell that blocks a certain smell?"

She arched an eyebrow at this.

"_Block a smell_?"

She clearly never heard _that one_ before.

"I mean – I don't know – make someone be able to completely ignore a smell that's bothering them, make it invisible to them or something, I don't know." He finished just as gruffly, irritated with his own jumbled thoughts.

She seemed to mull this over for a moment, her brows furrowed at this strange request.

"I don't see why not, what's this about Sheriff?"

"Can you do it or not?" The sudden aggression in his voice surprised her. She crossed her arms, scowling at him.

"Probably, I'd have to look into it; no one's ever asked me _that _before."

He mulled this over in his head for a second, determining that it was for the best.

"Alright, do that."

The elevator chimed once again as it arrived on Greenleaf's floor. With a second's hesitation she vacated the elevator, looking to Bigby, her scowl replaced by what appeared to be – _motherly concern?_ An irritated frown? He could never tell with Greenleaf, she was more reclusive that he was, and he pretty much wrote the book on '_How to be a lone wolf'_. The doors closed once again and the elevator began moving again, the ascent causing his stomach to churn ever so slightly as it did every time. Ding, the elevator chimed again and Bigby made his way to his apartment. It was late, by all rights he should've called it a night an hour ago, but he still had some more of that damned paperwork. Forget the Crooked Man, bureaucracy was the real monster here.

The sound of his footsteps as they echoed down the hallway was all that could be heard. He left the elevator yet he still felt sick to his stomach. Was he so sure this was so sure this was the best thing to do? A small selfish part of him wanted to hold onto this small part of Snow.

_It'd be the closest I'd ever get to her. And it's not like I'm hurting her. _

_Yet._

No, he was adamant, sure he managed to restrain himself for three centuries but did he trust himself to do so for another three more? And another three after that? Better to stop the problem at its source – him, before he did something really stupid, like break down in front of her, like Crane did.

He fumbled with his keys for a little bit, before opening his apartment and stepping into his humble abode. The '_smallest apartment in the woodlands_' indeed. The mess seemed to be a permanent feature, much like the walls themselves or the windows. Papers scattered all over the place, old Chinese takeout boxes festering on the table.

And his blood, still staining the floorboards…

'_You, uh, you stopped breathing, you know... when you passed out or … or died I guess. It … um… it kind of scared the hell out of me.'_

'_Snow… I'd never leave you'_

Tender moments like those seemed to mock him, teasing him with everything he wanted, knowing he wouldn't be able to reach out and grab it. He couldn't hurt her again. He'd never be with her, he accepted that, but he at least wanted to have memories of Snow of her looking up at him with her crystal blue eyes, her hand resting tenderly on his arm, a soft smile on her serene, beautifully pale face. He didn't want that to be ruined by a memory of her fuming at him _disgusted_ at what he had the audacity to even hope for.

He settled in his dark blue chair in the corner of the apartment, the pungent, metallic stench of blood – _his blood_ – still clinging to it. He made his choice. He rested his head back, shut his eyes and let sleep take him.


	3. Chapter 3

Life continued as normal for Bigby over the next couple of days. Minor disputes and one or two petty crimes were the sum of all he had to deal with and they did well to keep him occupied. It helped take his mind off Snow for a while. The matter with Greenleaf however was still at the back of his mind always rearing its ugly head whenever he tried to have a few minutes to himself. Or get some shuteye. Sitting once again in his office, flicking through some files Snow gave him.

With a sigh he closed the file he was staring at, already forgetting its contents before packing it away in a cabinet in his office. He figured now would be a good time to see Greenleaf, whether she had come up with anything. Snow probably wanted those files back, but he figured he could steal a few minutes to see Greenleaf. This had been bugging him for hours, the constant _waiting. _Better get to it then.

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><p>Snow White's headache was fast developing into a full blown migraine she decided. If it wasn't Grendel and the Woodsman coming to blows, it was Toad constantly contacting the office complaining about his mistreatment over at the farm. On top of that she had to handle all the bureaucracy; Fables coming in and out complaining about this and that, deciding how to allocate the town's funding and other deputy mayor related activities. She had to admit, though she had unofficially run things in the past, when all the attention was on her, trying to help these people was extremely difficult. Especially considering at times they seemed to be trying to be as unhelpful as possible. She took it all in stride however; after all she wanted to help fables, especially those who'd been forgotten and neglected. Fables like Faith and Lily…<p>

Though the pain in her neck wasn't helping matters, or her headache.

God she really needed an assistant.

Dammit, where was Bigby when she needed him? She needed those files she had handed him earlier. She glanced at her watch.

Half past eleven. Was it that late already? Still, she'd rather not leave this paperwork for tomorrow.

She got up from her quite large desk at the centre of the spacious office. _He_r office now she supposed. At a brisk pace she made her way into the hallway towards Bigby's office. Stopping at his door, she recognised the familiar stench of stale cigarette smoke. It seemed to just stick to everywhere he frequented. Why he smoke so much was beyond her. A couple taps on the door, no response. She knocked louder and called out his name, yet still no response.

Typical!

She opened the door confirming he wasn't there. Where the hell could he be? She needed those damn files, the last thing she needed to for the day. He normally stuck around late. Like her he wasn't exactly a social creature.

She could just use the Magic Mirror.

She didn't like the idea; it seemed like an invasion of privacy, but…

To hell with it, she wasn't after his personal details, just where he was so she could do her damn job.

She turned on her heel and walked back to the business office, making her way to the left of the room, towards the Magic Mirror. Its silvery surface reflected her appearance perfectly. Pale skin, raven hair done up in small bun, aqua blue eyes, a matching beige blazer and skirt with a blue blouse riddled with snowflakes.

"Mirror, mirror… help me out …tell me where this guy goes about."

Not exactly Tennyson but…

"Whom do you seek?" The silvery surface flashed into a green featureless face over an emerald whirlpool.

"Show me Bigby."

The Mirror's face contorted as the silvery surface turned to black shadows. These shadows slowly faded away to reveal Bigby's rugged body, as well as his surroundings. From the looks of things, she'd say he was in – the 13th floor? What was he doing there? She couldn't be mistaken, the spades on the wallpaper were a dead give away

This was really odd; Bigby had no need for glamours, as he was one of the few fables who could shift his appearance on demand – a result of Snow's involvement almost three centuries prior. Unless he needed some other form of magic which Snow doubted. Bigby never did seem too comfortable whenever heavy magic was involved.

His stern 'Big Bad Wolf' stance was evident, hands on hips and a frown on his face.

"_**So it can be done?" **_Bigby practically growled. Why was he irritated?

He wasn't alone; he was talking to – Greenleaf, of all people? And what did he need exactly?

"_**It looks that way. I looked through a few old tomes –"**_

"_**So what do you need?"**_He cut her off, clearly in no need of an explanation, which was very Bigby–esque of him.

Though this exchange has left Snow confused and worried. What had the Sheriff been getting up to?

Greenleaf seemed to be just as confused as well as annoyed with Bigby's rudeness.

"_**Just need to know what exactly you're trying to avoid."**_

Avoid? There were few things Bigby was afraid of and he was never one to hide or quit…

"_**Is that really necessary?"**_

Oh come on! Out with it!

Greenleaf wasn't too happy with his evasiveness either. She mirrored his posture and place her hands on her hips.

"_**Off course it's necessary! You do realise I could completely screw up your sense of smell altogether!"**_

Sense of smell? What was Bigby doing?

He avoided Greenleaf's gaze, keeping his eyes on his shoes. He was either concerned or embarrassed…

"_**Snow."**_

That caught her off guard. Her blood ran cold. What did she have to do with this?

"_**You're trying to stop being able to smell… Snow White?"**_

Stop being able to – what was Bigby up to? What had she done? He never showed any signs of distress in the past. She was starting to worry now…

"_**I don't get it, if you don't like the way she smells, why don't you just ask her to use a different perfume or something, I doubt she'd care much if it's affecting your work."**_

So that was it? He didn't like the way she smelt? She felt a little offended that one: the way she smelt bothered him, and two: he had to go behind her back and make a whole commotion, getting Greenleaf involved and all.

"_**It's not her perfume, it's just **_**her**." He said that so was irritated, started tapping his foot incessantly.

Wait…just her? What was going on?

"_**Her? I don't get it…"**_Greenleaf mirrored her unspoken question.

"_**It's a wolf thing alright?" **_He was getting tired of the questions.

_That _was hardly an answer.

"_**Sheriff, I'm not sure why you really need this…"**_

"_**Because it's driving me insane!" **_He roared.

Both Snow and Greenleaf flinched.

Snow hand shot to cover her mouth in surprise. Snow didn't understand, why was he saying this?

"**No matter where I go, I can still smell her!"**

She never knew that… he never said anything, never hinted anything… she felt uneasy, hurt, embarrassed…

"_**Day in, day out, there's her damn scent, her goddamn infuriating scent!"**_

She was shaking her head slowly now. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Infuriating? She made Bigby angry? For all these years? She thought they were friends…

"_**I can barely think - for three centuries I've put up with it, but I'm reaching a breaking point here!" **_

That long? He had felt like this for that long?

"_**No matter where I go it's there! Making me want to rip my hair out, tear someone apart!"**_

Tears burned in her eyes. This was just salt to her wounds now. How could Bigby…

"_**So will you please make my life just a tad bit easier and make the damn spell!"**_

Greenleaf just nodded her head slowly. Snow kept shaking hers.

"_**Alright. I'll have it ready as soon as I can." **_Greenleaf finally spoke in a soft hushed voice.

Bigby gave a curt nod before turning away, still fuming. The image morphed back into oily shadows and Snow stumbled back to her desk.

She felt her eyes burning with tears. How could he have felt this way, how could she have not realised how much Bigby _despised_ her? It was a wolf thing he said, made him want to tear his hair out he said. She should've expected this, everyone betrayed her, her sister, Charming.

And now Bigby.

She bit her lip, still shaking her head, trying to stop her quiet sobs.

She trusted him, believed in him and she got _this. _She thought back to all of their interactions, this entire time an _act_. Every gesture, every friendly greeting, every touch – all while hiding how much he _despised _it all? Despised her?

The tears eventually stopped flowing. Her face hardened into a scowl.

Screw everything. Screw him. She was Snow-goddamn-White. She didn't need anyone. Didn't need _him _especially. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

After all, she's been doing that for centuries.


	4. Chapter 4

**I didn't really like my first upload of this chapter, so I decided to tweak it a little. :P**

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><p>He wasn't sure what set her off, but Snow was definitely pissed off. He first noticed a couple of days ago, when Bigby brought her a coffee as he did every morning. She'd normally give a small smile and thank him when she'd glance up from her desk, but this time, she just ignored him. She didn't greet him, didn't respond to him calling her name or even accept the coffee, she just kept her eyes glued to the papers in front of her and answered a couple of phone calls. For him however what truly trumped him was her musk. He smelt the agitation and contempt rolling off her in waves and for the life of him, he had no idea why. If it was any other person, Bigby would've been annoyed to say the least but this wasn't any other person. This was Snow White and she clearly didn't want to see him. He ended up just leaving the coffee on the desk before silently fleeing the awkwardness with his tail in between his legs.<p>

He thought that she had become a real Ice Queen before, but boy, did he learn that she could hold a grudge...if only she'd tell him what said grudge was about...

It went on like this constantly over the next few days. Every interaction with him was short and cold, at times she'd barely finished speaking to him when before was practically out the door. She would often leave a room when she noticed he was present, would catch another elevator when she noticed he occupied it, or just plain ignore him as though he wasn't there. What was worse was that she never looked him in the eye anymore.

Actually he decided what was worse was that she now never called him Bigby.

Just Mr Wolf and very curtly at that.

They seemed to be further apart now more than ever and Bigby wanted to find out why. Of course that was easier said than done when she always avoided him and refused to speak to him. Her interactions with everyone else; Flycatcher, Beauty, hell even Bluebeard had been polite and courteous and Bigby realised she was just mad at _him_ for whatever reason.

And her musk... the way it smelt, it was like it wanted to strangle him itself which was a very terrifying concept to say the least. This was beyond anger, this was a pent up rage, just waiting to explode.

He thought he'd been on very good behaviour as far as the last few weeks were concerned. Hell the rest of Fabletown was starting to notice. Well he had enough. If he had done something wrong she could at least tell him what exactly that _was. _This was getting ridiculous.

A short whiff was all he needed to find out where she was. Just outside if hi sense of smell was anything to go by. Sure enough the gentle tapping of her heels against the floorboards were heard through the door. Taking one last drag from his cigarette, he swiftly dumped it in the ash tray before rushing out to catch up with snow. He heard the ding from the elevator just as he stepped out from his office. Lucky for him he was quick enough and managed to shove his hand in the crack of the elevator just as it closed. Snow was clearly not happy to see him; she stiffened, crossed her arms and looked over to the side. Avoiding eye contact. Ignoring him once again. He stepped inside. Well it was now or never.

"Snow, I-I wanted to talk to you." His voice was much softer than usual, though as always the natural gruffness seemed to permeate through the air. Damn, why was he so nervous?

"About what Mr Wolf, I'm very busy right now and don't have time for idle chit chat."

Mr Wolf. There it was again, no more Bigby… and the way her voice was so low… and how her musk was practically screaming at him… He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Snow you're mad at me, I just want to know why." He said that a little more confidently at least. But damn, trying to talk to Snow was more difficult than shaking off Bloody Mary's doppelgängers

She let out a low sigh. She still wasn't facing him.

"I'm not sure what you mean Mr Wolf." She stressed the 'Wolf' in that statement. Like she was letting him know that they were _not _friends.

He just stood there for a second dumbfounded for a moment.

"Snow please, just tell me what I did wrong." He was practically begging now.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Snow-"

"Just leave me alone!" She spun around to face him, and he now noticed how close they, less than an arm's length.

He now had a clear look at her, the first in days. Her raven hair was still up in it's bun, her skin still white as snow, she still wore her blouse and skirt combo. All that was different was her face - she was scowling so hard he thought he could see a vein pop in her forehead and her once serene, crystal blue eyes were cold and _spiteful. _

He flinched at that. He never saw Snow like this in his entire life. What did he do? He could feel her breath now as she looked up into his eyes. They seemed so cold now, so distant.

She poked his chest. Pushing him back slightly.

"Can you just get it through your thick skull that I don't want to talk to you?!"

She poked again. He stepped further back and she advanced towards him like a predator stalking its prey.

"I don't want to see you!"

Poke. He was now against the wall.

"And quite frankly I don't even want you in this building!"

His eyes were wide open, his jaw slackened and his shoulders slumped at this revelation. He never felt so empty inside. What provoked this? He shook his head so slowly in disbelief it almost seemed he wasn't moving.

"Snow I-"

The elevator came to a stop with a ding and opened to reveal the last person Bigby wanted to deal with right now. Just bloody great, his patience was wearing thin already…

"Am I interrupting something?" A bemused voice.

_Bluebeard._

"Get the next one." That wasn't a suggestion.

Bluebeard just gave his arrogant shit eating smirk. Oh so fucking typical of Bluebeard. His hands clenched into fists.

"Now Sheriff, don't you think-"

Oh that did it.

"_**GRRRRRWWWWL!"**_

Bluebeard stumbled backwards on himself wide eyed. It would've been more satisfying for Bigby had he not had more important things to worry about. The door closed with a click and the familiar sense of vertigo overtook him again.

His blood was really pumping now. He was frustrated, perplexed and downright confused. Why was Snow angry with him, why wouldn't she just tell him what was wrong?! It wasn't always like this…

Snow didn't seem so intimidated by his outburst however.

"For Christ sakes Snow! Please just tell me what's the matter! What did I do?!" He was this close to getting on his knees...

She just chuckled darkly to herself, turning herself so that her back faced him. He could see the back of her neck, could practically see the knots that had worked into her neck. That disarmed him; he immediately dropped his Big Bad Wolf persona, that chuckle scaring him more than Bloody Mary ever could.

"Snow?"

"Just answer me this – do I disgust you?"

What? He sure as hell wasn't expecting that.

"Snow what are you-"

"Just answer the damn question!" Her fists were now clenched at her sides.

"Snow, where is this coming from?"

"Don't play stupid with me! I heard everything you said!"

Heard everything he said? What the hell was she – oh no…

"I went to find you the other day, you weren't in your damn office!"

Realisation dawned on Bigby.

"So I had to use the mirror to find you!"

No, no, please no…

"I heard everything with your little conversation with Greenleaf!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb as he shook his head in disbelief.

"The way I smell makes you want to tear people apart and it's a wolf thing?!"

"Snow please, you don't understand-"

"Oh I understand perfectly! You despise me! All these years I thought you were my friend but the entire time you were just-"

She stopped there, fuming over everything.

"Snow, no that's not-, please I'm begging you don't make me do this-"

"Why not!? You hate me don't you? All this time and you've hated me! That's why you can't stand the way I smell!"

"NO! God no! It's because I love you dammit!" He roared at her.

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><p>Everything froze for Snow, her blood, her anger, <em>time<em>. Her fists slowly unclenched, her eyes widened, her mouth agape. She looked over her shoulder. She saw his pleading amber eyes, the utterly defeated expression written all over his face. _Love? _She couldn't exactly remember why she was mad... how does anyone react after having a bomb like that dropped on them? She mustn't have heard him right.

What seemed like hours but were only seconds passed before she spoke again.

"...Bigby?" She was lost for words.

He looked at the floor and puffed. When he spoke, it was barely a whisper.

"From the moment I've met you, you've been the one person I can't ignore. I smoke like a Bristol chimney just so that I can tolerate living in the city, so that I don't go crazy from a sensory overload. But it doesn't matter what I do or where I go, you're always there."

He kept pouring everything out. His arms were slack at his sides and he hunched over.

"Your scent is the most beautiful thing I've ever smelt Snow. I can always smell it no matter what. Your musk - I can tell when your happy which is rare, when your jealous and when your lonely, which is _most_ of the time. But ultimately all it does is remind me of everything I can't have."

She never knew… all this time he had loved her and never said anything because he was afraid she would reject him utterly and completely?

"Bigby I don't underst… why didn't you just tell me?"

Amber eyes met crystal blue.

"I don't act impulsively Snow. You should know that by now."

His gaze sent a silent shudder down her spine.

"I've wanted you more than anything or anyone. But I'm not a moron, no matter what other people might say. I know that the Big Bad Wolf-" he spat out "-never had a shot with you. I may look human now, but I'm still just a wild animal inside. After everything that's happened, with the Crooked Man, with Crane..."

A wave of nausea passed over her as she thought about the former Deputy Mayor. Was he afraid that she'd compare his affection to Crane's perversion?

"…I knew that if you ever found how I felt, you would never be able to look at me the same way again."

He was. All this time, she thought she disgusted him, when he was afraid that if she found out…he thought I'd be like the Crane incident with Lily… But he was nothing like Crane!

But here he was on the verge of tears as he poured out all his fears and insecurities thinking he was some kind of monster!

He looked at the ground again - ashamed.

"Do you know what it's like, loving someone for so long and knowing that they would never love you back?"

She felt her heart break. She never saw this side of Bigby before. He was always so stoic, so strong and here he was breaking down in front of her. _Because _of her. Tears threatened to pour down her face.

"I wanted that spell from Greenleaf because everyday I get a whiff of you and I know that this is the closest I'd ever get to you."

Oh Bigby...

"I wanted to be discreet, I never wanted you to find out, but now…"

He was...ashamed? He thought she'd mock him if she...

But he had really loved her? For three centuries…

That couldn't be right, he had buried these feelings for her for that long and she hadn't noticed. He was always fond of her, she knew that, but she didn't realise to that extent. She thought they were just friends, and everyone knew Bigby didn't have many friends. She stared at the ground in front of her, matching his posture, her mouth just hanging open as she processed all this. All she felt was immense guilt.

But all Bigby saw was rejection, _disgust_.

The damn elevator chimed once again.

"I'm just a stray dog who forgot his rightful place – the kennel." He all but whispered. He turned his face away.

Snow could only stand there and watch him let out a slow breath before storming off as the elevator opened. Tears poured down her cheeks as remembered all those horrible things she had said to him. All those horrible things he had said about himself, she just practically confirmed… Oh God she had to be the worst person alive.

"Bigby…"


	5. Chapter 5

Bigby never felt more humiliated in his life, to break down in front of Snow like that and just tell her _everything_. He didn't know how he could face her again after that. Of course considering the nature of their work he realised that he wouldn't have a choice in that regard. Sooner rather than later, he'd have to face the music.

He could always jump out the window if things were brought to a head, he mused. Unless there were no windows…

He was a Goddamn idiot.

He could have told her anything; literally anything than that he could've come up with just to get out of that situation. He sighed to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose for the umpteenth time that week. His mind was racing with all the thoughts and imaginings of what Snow would do to him. Laugh at him? Mock him? Kick him out of the Woodlands? What was he saying – of course Snow wouldn't mock him, she'd just be incredibly creeped out and not want to talk to him – and then maybe kick him out of the woodlands.

_Great pep talk Bigby. _

What's done is done he resolved. The best he can hope for is to get that spell from Greenleaf, whenever that'll be ready and apologise – for never telling her and putting her through all this.

He glanced at the clock on the wall of his office. Time to return those files to the office. Maybe if he was lucky, Snow wouldn't be there, having stepped out for some fresh air or something. Considering his luck over the past week, Bigby wasn't too optimistic.

With a groan, he picked himself up from his desk and left for the business office.

* * *

><p>Today hadn't been terribly productive for Snow White. Several times she found herself just drifting off in her own thoughts provoking <em>Bufkin<em> to question _her _state of mind_. _Though perhaps that was to be expected when considering the bomb that had just been dropped on her earlier. So there she was, sitting at her desk raking her head over Bigby's…confession – if it could be called that.

It went without saying that she had never saw him like that. Hell, she wasn't sure anyone had ever seen him like that. Of course she always knew that Bigby was more affectionate towards her than he was towards anyone else, and _maybe_ that was reciprocated. But to that extent…

She had to admit that she _was_ oddly touched by his show of emotion, which both surprised and scared her all at once. He could be very sweet when he wished to (sometimes unknowingly) and he had done more for her than most over the years. She couldn't exactly name many people who would do what he did – becoming Sheriff over a town of people who weren't exactly fond of him. In the past, she sometimes wondered why he had done so, but she was too _cautious _at first to ask him, and eventually as the years rolled on, _why _seemed less important until it was but a distant memory.

_Guess she got her answer now_. She could only laugh at that, even if it was bittersweet.

In all honesty she felt incredibly conflicted. Things she once knew for fact were now riddled with uncertainty and the realities she once accepted now ceased to exist.

She liked Bigby that much she knew, the strange man though he was.

_Man_. How long was it when she stopped regarding him as the _Big Bad Wolf? _She couldn't say.

God it had been so long since she had to deal with anything like this.

She unconsciously began to draw comparisons between herself and Bigby. She realised that they were both loners, her by choice and him by nature. They didn't trust easily, again a reason of circumstance and nature. The fact that they had gotten – what passes for them as close – spoke volumes.

She then realised that there was so much that she didn't know about him and that bothered her, strangely enough. Or that he probably didn't know terribly much about her, though considering his sense of smell, she wasn't sure how _little_ that was.

There was the root of all that troubled her. His sense of smell. By his own admission she knew that he was able to pick up where she was and tell what she was feeling, all from a little whiff. With a sniff, he had learned more about her than she wanted anyone to know. She felt – violated. Like he had been stalking her for all these years. The fact that he hadn't told her…

At first she felt a little sting of betrayal. But his appointment with Greenleaf had shown that it bothered him as well. He knew about these feelings and decided to do everything to put an end to them. She felt conflicted at that, part of her wanted him to go through with it, yet another part didn't want him to go.

She thought back to that night in the alley behind the _Puddin 'n' Pie_ where he had been absolutely riddled with shotgun pellets, and then that silver bullet. She remembered how frightened she was that Bigby would die. She remembered when she and Swineheart had dragged him back to his apartment and literally sewn him back together. And the blood… She remembered trying to imagine a world that didn't have Bigby in it and she remembered not liking that thought at all.

The thought of Bigby dead scared her more than Bigby's sense of smell she decided with certainty.

_Well that was a start at least. _

They were friends she had decided. She wasn't comfortable with what Bigby wanted – not yet anyway. They may need time to sort this out, but they could move past this. After all they were two rational adults.

She was immediately stirred from her inner ramblings by two knocks on the door. After calling out for whomever to enter, the door swung open just enough for none other than Bigby himself. She was quite unable to meet his eyes which thankfully he seemed so as well.

"Mr Wolf." She greeted trepidatiously.

"Ms White." He responded as timidly.

_So much for friends. _

Their eyes met for a split second before he fidgeted with for a moment before seemingly remembering why he was there to begin with.

_Was he here to talk about... last night?_

"I – um, have the files that you wanted." He waved the files gently in his hand.

Oh.

"Oh. Yes of course, thanks." She sounded almost disappointed.

He walked briskly over to her desk where she was sitting and handed the files to her. All her thoughts and conclusions that she had made previously had jumped out the window when her hand had accidently brushed his. She fumbled a bit with the files, her heart racing over her proximity to him as well as her own shyness. He turned to leave before briefly hesitating.

"Listen, I-uh… I just want to say-" He turned back towards her to her as he fumbled with his words. Looking everywhere but at her.

"No, no, I get it, we were both a little-" She immediately chimed in, realising he was trying to apologise.

The phone rang and her head shot towards it..

Saved by the bell it seemed. In truth she wasn't sure what to say to him. But at least she knew they were on the same page. It was comforting.

Snow let of an exasperated sigh as she reached over to answer it.

"Hello, business office."

She was surprised to hear a very displeased Holly and the unmistakeable sound of a brawl in the background. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was up. She quickly noted Holly's statement.

"Yes. Right away." She hung up.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to face Bigby.

"Sheriff, Gren and Woody are at it again, down at the Trip Trap." She explained exasperated.

_This happened entirely too often._

"Again?" He rolled his eyes and groaned as he headed for the door.

"Be careful." She shot out without thinking.

He stopped at the door and looked back to her.

He actually smiled, his amber eyes meeting her cerulean.

"Always." With that he was gone.

She found herself smiling back even after he left.

So their situation wasn't beyond repair at least. They could do this, she decided, they could move past this and move on. Of course there was the question of Bigby's affection… That could wait for now. They could deal with it later.

Besides, who knew if it was really love that Bigby felt? They were both lonely and whenever two lonely individuals work together, emotions can get a little muddled, especially when considering the pressure they've been under.

Right?


	6. Chapter 6

"So will you two learn to play nice?" The question hung in the air for a second

"Fuck off dog." Gren spat from his place on the floor, slumped against one of the walls of the Trip Trap.

Bigby just stared him down, betraying no emotions while he lit a cigarette. Gren soon looked away, clearly not willing to annoy the sheriff any more tonight. Not after the sound (and justified) thrashing that both he and woody had received not a few minutes earlier. Woody seemed much more cooperative, as he just sat there with his back against the same wall remaining silent.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He'd lost count of how many times he had dealt with their destructive arguments. It seemed a nightly ritual; have a smoke, hire a cab, go down to the Trip Trap, throw Gren off Woody, or some variation of that, knock their heads together and call it a night. He was getting tired of this.

"Look, I'm gettin' real sick of coming down here night after night and having to break the two of you up." He growled.

"So I'm gonna make this real clear. One. More. Time, and I'll do to you what I did to Bloody Mary." His eyes flashed yellow for a brief moment; after all, he wanted his point to be soundly heard this time.

"Get the picture?"

Both men nodded their heads furiously, wisely not wishing to provoke the Wolf anymore. With a sigh, Bigby turned to Holly, the proprietor of this establishment, who remained behind her bar.

"Why do you keep lettin' these two idiots in here?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Look, customers 'aint exactly easy to come by these days." She shrugged, an indifferent expression on her face.

"I swear I'm this close to..." He trailed off looking away.

"I get it. Don't worry sheriff, they'll behave now."

_Nickel for every time he heard that… _

"Thanks sheriff." She added as an afterthought, exhibiting a very rare half-smile.

He returned the gesture.

"Well, we strays gotta look out for each other."

He turned to leave, not noticing Holly's face soften up.

* * *

><p>Finally returning to the Woodlands, he debated whether it'd be prudent to talk to Snow again. On one hand, he wished to resolve this tension between them and from little social skills he had, thought that Snow wanted to as well. Then again his skill at communication was quite lacking. Chances are he'd botch his own words and send the completely wrong kind of message.<p>

_Jesus, was he a grown-ass man or a winy teenager?_

This wasn't rocket science, he could do this. The sooner he resolves this tension between them, the less damage it's likely to cause.

He gave the door a couple of taps before heading inside, immediately noticing Snow sitting at her desk – as usual. She was looking at him intently, her expression unreadable to him. After a few seconds she finally spoke and a small smile which didn't quite reach her ears lit her face.

"How did it go at the Trip Trap?"

He relaxed a little, taking that as his cue to come further inside.

"As expected." He sighed.

"Gren and Woody still can't stand each other yet why they go to the same damn bar every damn night is beyond me."

She chuckled a little at this, and he could only chuckle with her. By now he was a couple of feet away from her desk.

The mirth soon left her eyes and she began to look serious and melancholy.

"We have to talk about the other night."

_And there it is._

He nodded and looked away, the familiar feeling of shame and embarrassment washing over him yet again.

They were both silent after that, neither quite knowing how to begin or broach the subject.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just unloaded everything like that. I just-I mean you were upset and-" He didn't know what to say.

"No, no I get it, I was hardly being helpful, throwing accusations at you. I literally had you against the wall." There was no anger in her voice.

Neither one were looking at the other.

"Only because I've been keeping **– this –** a secret for so long."

"How long have…?" Her question was uttered with such a small voice that terrified him to no end.

Her expression was one of sadness or disappointment perhaps?

He wasn't sure whether she was referring to his sense of smell or his affections for her.

"Since we first met."

Her tone became stern.

"So when I came after you in Europe, all those years ago… That's why you accepted my offer, to come to Fabletown." It was a statement not a question and directed to herself more than him.

"Yes."

Her eyes widened at this new revelation.

_Just one more secret he kept from her. _

Her breathing grew slower and deeper as she tried to calm herself. She held her face in her hands for a second before running them up through her hair and setting them flat on the desk.

She still didn't look at him.

"Snow I-"

"Look we-"

They both stopped. They did seem to have that annoying habit of speaking at once.

"I never meant to hurt you and I didn't want to keep this from you. It's just… I didn't know how to tell you. You… were the only one who really seemed to give a damn about me. I mean sure you needed a Sheriff and I guess you had to make sure that I wouldn't eat people…"

"But you were kind to me anyway. My father sure as shit didn't care, my brothers didn't Fabletown doesn't. But you did."

Her expression softened and her eyes filled with sadness, empathy for his lonesome.

"I didn't want to scare you away, I didn't want to lose that."

"Snow, I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say. Last thing you needed was this shit coming up when you're stressed enough as it is. It was selfish of me."

She didn't speak, just kept on listening.

"So, when Greenleaf's finished with that spell, I'm gonna use it."

He finally mustered the courage to look her in the eye. Like before, they held the same amount of sadness.

"I'd... rather just forget about this whole thing. I think I'd be better this way."

She lowered her gaze and stared at the desk in front of her as she started fiddling with her hands.

"Yes. That'd probably be… best." Her voice just as soft as before.

His heart deflated at those words. That was what he wanted to hear, he knew, but he still had the vain hope that she felt _something_ for him.

_Stupid dog, stay in the kennel, don't bother the lords and ladies with your barking._

He nodded in agreement. Time to move on.

A knock on the door interrupted their talk. Snow called out for whomever to enter.

"I'm sorry." He apologised one last time before he left. He couldn't look at her right now.

In his rush to escape, he almost ran into Greenleaf - literally.

"Sorry Greenleaf. Long night." He explained.

"It's fine, I needed to tell Ms White something but since I ran into you, I thought I'd give you this."

She reached into her gown and retrieved a small vial, containing some purple liquid.

_So that was it huh?_

She held it out to him and with a slightly trembling hand he accepted it. He ran a finger over the smooth surface of the glass, the rough cork and couldn't help but feel uneasy as he stared at it. So lost in his thoughts he almost forgot about Greenleaf, who cleared her throat to get his attention. Shaking his head slightly he looked up at her.

"Sorry, thanks Greenleaf."

She gave him a questioning look. He wasn't really in a mood to figure out why. So he bade her goodnight and headed off home.

_Better get this over with._

He didn't notice Greenleaf's look of concern.

Or Snow's.


	7. Chapter 7

**Slight edit, felt like I was missing something so I tried to make the last part more 'tender' I guess?**

* * *

><p>Snow still couldn't decide whether letting Bigby leave was a good idea. Rationally she knew that what he suggested was probably for the best. Probably being the operative word. But she still wanted to talk it out and couldn't help but feel their conversation was a little one sided. She just sat there shell shocked while he let everything out and wouldn't let her get a word in. She tightened her hands into fists at her frustration at him.<p>

Damn him. Did he have to be so melodramatic all the time? To be fair, she hasn't exactly remained calm or composed over the past week but hell, better late than never. She'd have to speak to him later she decided, just to say her piece.

_And that was what exactly?_

…she wasn't exactly sure, she realised. That she wasn't disgusted by him? That she didn't want him to become all reclusive? That though she was disappointed by his deception (however unintentional), she knew it hadn't been withheld with malice in his heart?

_That maybe she felt something as well?_

That stray thought surprised her. Did she feel something for him? Of course she was always fond of Bigby – he had a reputation for getting the job done and she respected that. He always seemed to respect her, even when she was just an assistant to Crane. But maybe what drew Snow most of all to Bigby was that underneath that Wolfish exterior, his violent temperament and his gruff personality was his surprisingly soft heart. He was very protective of those he cared about. She remembered his relief at seeing her alive when he had found Lily's head.

But was it love? In truth she didn't know. Love wasn't exactly something she had experienced for a long time. After she had found Charming in bed with her sister Rose, she decided that love was merely another avenue to get you hurt. Maybe she was being foolish, after all Bigby was nothing like Charming.

_Boy was that the understatement of the century. _

She shook her head. This was ridiculous. They were just colleagues and now she was asking herself whether she loved him? They had never gone to dinner or gone dancing; hell they hadn't even gotten a coffee together!

_They were supposed to be friends yet they hadn't even gotten a coffee? Not once?_

She had been busy, she tried to reason. Yet that didn't seem to convince her.

Her musing was cut short by Greenleaf clearing her throat.

"Sorry Aunty Greenleaf, I've just had a lot to deal with lately." She returned to her all business demeanour.

Greenleaf just seemed amused as she stood there, in front of the desk with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Its fine, I was just worried that if you held that face any longer it'd get stuck like that."

"Like what?"

"Scrunched up like a pug."

She felt her cheeks blush with embarrassment.

"Right of course."

"Something bothering you?" She asked coyly.

Snow seemed to consider for a second.

"Just had a talk with the Sheriff over a matter that's popped up over the past few days."

"Oh really."

"Yes really." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Anything in particular bothering you?"

"Does it matter?" She really didn't want to discuss this with Greenleaf.

"No, I guess not." She shook her head. "Just thought it might have something to do with that spell he seemed so keen on getting his paws on."

"So what if it does?"

"Well you should be happy to know that you won't have to worry about it anymore."

Snow cocked her head. "How so?"

"That spell I cooked up was permanent."

She tensed up at that. "Permanent?"

"Yep. One gulp of that and goodbye problem."

She tightened her fists so hard she was close to drawing blood from her palms.

"Wouldn't – wouldn't a temporary spell be more prudent?" She couldn't help her panic from reaching her voice.

Greenleaf seemed to consider this. "I guess, but it seemed more efficient to just snip it out completely. Means he isn't constantly bothering me about it."

Well that would be best right? Just completely remove the issue. No more him smelling her wherever he was, and she could have her total privacy back. No more him bothering her with this. No more Bigby.

When he took that spell would he lose or all his affection for her? That's what she wanted right? What she always tried to push for?

Just her by herself. Alone. Like always.

_Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone._

She bit her lip as she trembled slightly, not really caring anymore that someone could see her. She didn't want this she decided. She didn't know if she loved him, but that didn't really matter anymore. He cared about her, and she knew she cared about him. That would have to do for now.

_Unless he takes that damn spell. Damn him!_

"Well?" Snow was snapped from her thoughts.

"Well what?"

"Well go after him." Greenleaf gestured grandly towards the door.

She stood up and hesitated for a split second looking from Greenleaf to the door.

"Go!"

That was all the motivation she needed to bolt out of the office.

Greenleaf chuckled to herself as she walked out.

* * *

><p>Bigby stood in front of his dinner table in his own dingy apartment. He beheld the small vial he had set out on the table. Kneeling he looked at it at eye level, as though it were some concoction he suspected to be poison.<p>

_Guess in a way it was._

Then again he never liked magic. But this in particular… It meant putting aside everything that he had held onto for the past three hundred years. It meant giving up on Snow. Then again he wasn't sure he had gotten any closer to her in all that time.

_If it wasn't going to happen then, it's not going to happen now._

It's for the best he decided. If he couldn't be happy with Snow, then at least Snow would be happy without him. Even with all the determination he had, it failed to completely convince him of that.

Loud knocking rocked him from his thoughts. He knew that smell…

_Was that…?_

"Bigby!"

It was her. But what was she doing here?

Bracing himself he rushed to the door and opened, revealing Snow panting slightly, a panicked expression on her face even while she had that cute little strand of hair that always poked out. He could smell fear and panic off her, but as to why he didn't know. That was always the flipside of his ability to pick up her scent – he could tell what she was feeling, just not necessarily _why_. It annoyed him to no end.

He finally found his voice. "Snow is something wrong?" Please let their not be another head in front of the woodlands.

"No, I just needed to see you. Can I come in?" She said so rather hurriedly.

He felt himself relax at that. "Yeah, of course, come in." He stepped aside and she walked inside.

He closed the door after her taking a second to mentally prepare himself before turning to face her. She stood in front of him, holding the vial in her hand, eyeing it incredulously.

"Is this it?" She asked with a small voice.

"The spell? Yeah."

She gave a sigh of relief before smiling slightly. "Good." She brushed past him, confusing him to know end, and before he knew it stood in the kitchen. Before he could stop her, she had uncorked the vial and poured its contents down the sink.

"Snow what the hell!?" He cried out, reaching out to stop her but stopping just short when he realised it was already done.

Ok, now he we was truly confused. His jaw hung open and his brows furrowed so much they practically met.

"Why?" He asked meekly.

"We need to talk about the other night." She said matter-of-factly.

"But we already did." He responded dumbfounded.

"No, you talked about it. I hardly got a word in."

He clamped his jaw shut. She was right, he didn't really let her speak, but wasn't this what they both wanted?

"But-"

"Bigby! Please just let me speak." He kept his mouth shut after that.

She strode past him and he followed, leaving them both back in the living area her facing the wall, him facing her back.

"There were some things I needed to say."

She turned to face him, her eyes boring into his and his scowl quickly left his face.

"What happened the other night, well it sucked pretty much. I was accusing you of hating me and you just – broke apart, I guess. It scared the hell out of me seeing you like that. It freaked me out when you told me about, how you could always... smell me."

He felt another pang of pain in his heart.

"Snow, I'm sorry-"

"What did I say about interrupting me?"

His hung his head lamely and nodded slightly.

"I get it though."

He shot his head up at her. What?

"You couldn't help it, and you didn't want to scare me. But I wouldn't have hated you for it if you told me."

She closed her eyes briefly while taking a deep breath.

_She… wouldn't have hated me? _

"After that night at the Pudin' 'n' Pie, when you were lying there dying…" Her eyes glistened with tears.

She stepped towards him.

"That scared me way more."

His heart softened at that confession.

"I couldn't think of a world without Bigby Wolf in it where I would ever be happy."

She took his hands into hers and as their skin touched one another, his heart went into overdrive.

_Wait did he hear that right?_ His heart thumped audibly in his chest, his excitement and hope growing.

She broke eye contact with him now and just looked down at their hands. He couldn't help but run a thumb over the back of each hand, marveling at how silky smooth they were. Skin as white as snow.

"I don't know what I feel Bigby." She quivered and he had to resist the urge to run his palm over her cheek in reassurance, to let her know he was there. "It's been years since I've ever gotten close to anyone, I made damn sure of that. I tried to keep everyone at arm's length, hell I haven't spoken to my sister in a long time."

"Except you somehow snuck in there." She gave a short breath which could've been mistaken for a laugh.

"It didn't matter what I did, how cold I was to you, you just took it in stride. You were always there the next day, a grin on your face asking me how I was."

"You never left me." She said so with finality, like she had finally realised something.

He let those words sink in for a while, his eyes growing wider as he heard all that she said. He _had _never left her, but he was never sure that that was how she saw it, rather that he was merely showing the proper respect and commitment to his office. But of course that wasn't the real reason he had stayed and now it seemed Snow knew that too.

"I don't know if it's love but..."

Love? Was this really happening? If he was asleep, please do not wake him, he mused.

_Did she feel something for him? _

She looked up at him, with those baby blue eyes and her innocent expression was swiftly replaced with one of mischief.

"So maybe if a certain dashing wolf were to ask me to get a coffee with him or to maybe go to lunch, or dinner…" She trailed her suggestion off very coyly and her eyes just screamed mischief.

Her scent was doing much to alleviate his excitement either…

What could he do but just nod his head dumbly, after finally closing his gaping maw with an audible gulp.

She leaned up to his face and ever so slowly and before he realised what was happening, pressed her lips against his cheek, just near the corner of his mouth. He savoured the feeling of wetness against his cheek and the softness of her kiss. She broke away and graced him with a huge smile that stretched from ear to ear. This was the first time he had ever seen her so happy. Christ, he hoped it wouldn't be the last. He couldn't help it, he had to speak, to tell her.

"Snow," his voice wavered slightly with nervousness. "You don't know what this means to me. You already know how I feel, and I wouldn't have blamed you for running the other way but this..."

He was joyfully baffled.

"I- I was so afraid that I was never good enough for you. You were, _are_, this beautiful, strong willed, angel and I was just a wolf. Someone whose name you tell kids to get em' to quit mucking up."

"I'd given up on anyone caring for me, ever since my mother died..." His voice crackled and she ran a palm across his cheek cooing that it was alright.

He looked away from her, he didn't want her to see him like this. "Hell, my brothers didn't care about me, or my father."

She force his head back to look at her.

"Well I'm not your father or your brothers." She whispered.

This time he did give into temptation, and gently cupped her cheek, as she cupped his.

"I swear I'll never do anything to hurt you. From now on everything will be on the table."

Gently, she pressed her forehead against his and their arms found their way around each other. He easily relaxed into her touch.

"I know." She uttered softly.

They stayed like that for a long while, neither one wishing to break this tender embrace. Finally though, they accepted that this would have to be continued, sooner rather than later. She looked up at him with a soft smile and drew him in for one last hug, her arms around his waist, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Placing his own large arms around her, he relished her softness and resting his nose in her hair breathed her in. Her beautiful scent...

They broke away - reluctantly, their hands still holding onto eachother.

"Goodnight Bigby."

For the first time in ages, his face broke into a broad smile, not a grin, just a true expression of his happiness.

"Goodnight Snow."

She gave his hands one last squeeze before letting herself out. With the door open she hesitated and turned back towards him a grin still plastered to her face.

"Call me."

He gave a laugh.

"Don't worry, I will."

With that she closed the door after her and left his apartment, but not his heart.

He just stood there for a long while, not quite sure what had just happened.

He decided he didn't really care.

* * *

><p><strong>ANNNNNNNNNNNNND THAT'S ALL FOLKS!<strong>

I want to thank everyone who followed my sorry excuse for a story, favourited and left reviews! This story has gathered a small following and I can't tell you how humbled I am that you guys have stuck around, your very positive and friendly feedback has been what's motivated me to continue this story. I've had a lot of fun with this!

Incidentally, this is the first fanfic that I've ever finished so yaaaaaay!

I was thinking of maybe doing a few Wolf Among Us oneshots in the future and I think I'd be a fun idea for you guys to inbox me suggestions over what each one would be about. I'd probably post them all under one fic. Let me know what you guys think!

I hope that if I do post more fics in the future, they'll be of a higher standard that you guys deserve.

Once again thanks to all and I'll see you next time!


	8. Epilogue

_Some weeks later_

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><p>Bigby wasn't sure what time it was when he roused from the first peaceful slumber he had had in weeks. What he was sure of was that he was oddly comfortable lying on his back, overwhelmed with sensations of warmth and softness afforded by the queen sized bed he was in. One sideways glance at the digital clock on the bedside table revealed it was three in the morning. He shut his eyes again; relieved he still had a few hours' sleep left. Until something occurred to him.<p>

_Since when did he own a bed?_

His eyes shot open again and he bolted upright as he took in his surroundings. It was still dark but he could see that he was in someone else's bedroom. In someone's queen sized bed. Even his enhanced senses didn't reveal to him much, leaving him confused and vulnerable.

He then realised he wasn't clothed.

It was _then_ that he first consciously noticed the warm mass that was lying on top of him. He wasn't alone.

The events of last night ran through his head and a familiar scent which he almost didn't notice before hit him in full force. A smile soon graced his lips. Sure enough lying snugly alongside him with her head on his chest was a certain raved haired, fair skinned beauty. Well was lying snugly. It seemed his earlier stirring had roused her from her peaceful slumber.

"Mmmmm, Bigby?"

She sat up with him, rubbing her eyes with one hand while the other pulled the blanket up around her revealing only her creamy white shoulders, hiding how she shared his state of undress. Why did she have to look so adorable when she was tired? Hell she looked adorable just about all the time, but seeing her like this; hair tussled, blue eyes half open and showing a lot more skin than he thought he'd ever see stirred something primal within him. A wry look from Snow made him realise that he was staring.

"Sorry Snow, I was just-I mean…"

She giggled at his embarrassment, her eyes mischievous. She actually _giggled_. Ok now he knew that he had died and had gone to heaven. His previous embarrassment and inhibitions vanished into thin air.

"It's ok I get it. This is gonna take some getting used to." She sighed.

Her hair cascaded around her face and down her neck, appearing like some wild mane, giving her an untamed, exotic look.

"Somehow I think I'll manage." He laughed.

She laughed as well, music to his ears. He could get used to hearing that.

"Yeah. Now go back to sleep!" She playfully shoved him back down on the bed and snuggled up against him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He rested his chin on her soft raven hair and ran a hand along her side, stopping comfortably on the curve of her hip. Her hand fit snugly over his. His other hand drew the blankets nice and tightly around both of them. A comfortable silence overtook them.

"Hey Bigby?"

_Well that lasted long…_

"Mmmm?"

He opened one eye to look at her.

She met his gaze with a content smile across her face, the happiest he had ever seen her.

"I love you too."

He just held her tighter and sported the biggest grin he had ever had.

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><p><strong>Felt like doing a little epilogue. <strong>


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